The theme of nature is easily seen in King Lear. There are various ideas about human beings and their relationship to nature in the play.
             Ideas relating to nature appear often in the play. There are fifty-seven differant animals mentioned in and the play is set in pagan Britain so Humans and how they view the Gods is also covered e.g. Edmund begins 'Thou nature art my goddess' Human law and custom have treated Edmund unfairly because his parens were not married. Edmund views nature as the opposite of human virtue. Gloucester believes strongly in astrology. He thinks that natural events such as eclipses can create unnatural events. Kent also believes that the stars must be responsible for the differant attitudes in differant people. King Lear also believes that nature is also a goddess and calls on her to punish Goneril with infertility and also calls on 'nature' when she is exerting a storm to 'crack natures moulds' and end the human race.
             Also tying in with the theme of nature is the relationship between human beings or human nature. This is illustrated in the play with a number of differant situations. One example is the way Cordelia treats King Lear at the beginning of the play. Lear tells her that neither human nature nor royal dignity can tolerate the way she has insulted him. He then proceeds to tell the King of France that 'nature is ashamed' to have produced a child like Cordelia.
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